Pakistan Air Force: The Only Air Force That Shot Down Multiple Russian Fighter Pilots in Combat Since WWII
As the United States and other NATO members hesitate in imposing No-Fly zone over Ukraine for fear of direct confrontation with Russia, here's a piece of history from the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s: The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has the distinction of being the only air force that has engaged and shot down multiple Russian fighter pilots in combat since WWII. The most prominent among those shot down by PAF was Colonel Alexander Rutskoy who ejected over Pakistani soil and was captured by Pakistan. After his release, Rutskoy was decorated as a hero of the Soviet Union and went onto become vice president of Russia under Boris Yeltsin, before leading an attempted coup in 1993, according to The National Interest publication. Col Alexander Rutskoy of USSR Air Force Shot Down Over Pakistan In 1986, the F-16s of the Pakistan Air Force 's No. 9 Griffin and 14 Shaheen squadrons began flying combat air patrols along the Afghan border. That year. The Soviet a...